Grade Appeal Process and Timetable – Steps in the College of Humanities

 
STEP 1     Within the first five weeks of the first regular semester after the semester in which the grade was awarded, or sooner if possible:
 

• The student should familiarize him/herself with the University's Grade Appeal Policy.
• Student must meet with the course instructor (Professor/GAT/ adjunct/lecturer/ instructor/TA) to discuss the grade received, explain any concerns and state the student’s reasons for questioning the grade.
• If the course instructor is a GAT, and the interview between the instructor and the student does not resolve the difficulty, the student should next discuss the problem with the person in charge of supervising the course, or the appointed designee or the department head, whichever pertains to the course in question.

 
STEP 2     If the discussion(s) described in Step 1 do not resolve the student’s concerns, then within the first five weeks of the first regular semester after the semester in which the grade was awarded, or sooner if possible:
 

• The student fills out and signs the College of Humanities Student Attest Form to attest in writing that the student has informed the course instructor he/she intends to file a grade appeal.
• After the Attest Form is submitted, the student obtains an official Grade Appeal packet from the College of Humanities Dean's Office in Modern Languages 345.
• For steps 3-7, College of Humanities grade appeal forms must be used. The student is to provide these forms to those with whom he/she is pursuing the appeal.

 
STEP 3     Within the first five weeks of the first regular semester after the semester in which the grade was awarded, or sooner if possible:
 

• The student submits the completed Grade Appeal Form Statement by Student and the Instructor’s Comments to Students Grade Appeal form to the course instructor.
• It is also the responsibility of the student to present all of the necessary documentation from the course in question. (Please refer to the NOTE on the College of Humanities Grade Appeal Form Statement by Student.)

 
STEP 4     The instructor responds in writing to the student's appeal using the College of Humanities Instructor's Comments to Student's Grade Appeal form.  The instructor’s written response and signed form should be returned to the student within the two-week period allowed. Refer to steps 4 and 5 of the University Grade Appeal Policy for a detailed summary.
 
STEP 5     If the instructor is not available or the matter is not resolved within the two-week period, the student shall within one week thereafter, readdress and submit the written appeal and the instructor’s written response, if available, to the department head.  Student submits written statement and instructor's written response to department head. Refer to step 5, University Grade Appeal Policy for a detailed summary.
 
STEP 6     The department head uses the College of Humanities Department Head's Comments to Student's Grade Appeal form to comment in writing on the student’s grade appeal and the instructor’s written response.  The department head’s written response and signed forms should be returned to the student within the two-week period allowed. If the department head recommends the grade be changed, the instructor decides whether or not to accept that recommendation. The department head may not change the grade.  Refer to step 6, University Grade Appeal Policy for a detailed summary.  
 
STEP 7     If the grade appeal has not been resolved at the department level and the student wishes to pursue the appeal, the student submits the appeal, and the written responses from the instructor and department head to the College of Humanities Dean's Office. All such statements must be on the requisite College of Humanities grade appeal forms and must be original documents. Refer to step 7, University Grade Appeal Policy.
 
STEP 8     The associate dean shall review the student’s appeal and take appropriate action.  If the basis of the appeal is the fundamental fairness of treatment of the student by the instructor, the associate dean convenes a committee to review the case. 
 
STEP 9     When appropriate, the associate dean convenes an appointed College of Humanities Grade Appeal Committee which considers the grade appeal within the period of time specified by the College of Humanities. Refer to step 9, University Grade Appeal Policy. The College of Humanities Grade Appeal Committee provides copies of its recommendation to the student, instructor, department head, and associate dean.
 
STEP 10   The associate dean shall make a final decision after full consideration of the committee's recommendation and within four weeks of receiving the student's appeal. The associate dean has the authority to change the grade to a different credit-bearing grade, which includes regular grades (A,B,C,D,E), alternative grades (S,P), or optional grades (P,F), depending on the course grading system and the system chosen by the student at registration.  The department head, instructor, and student shall be notified in writing of the associate dean's decision, which is final.

Timetable for Grade Appeal Process in College of Humanities: